Brent S. Cole LINDEN - Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brent S. Cole, 38, of Linden, was killed in action in Afghanistan on Friday, May 22, 2009. He was killed in a helicopter crash during his third combat deployment while proudly serving his country in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was deployed as part of the 1st Attack Helicopter Battalion (Wolf Pack) of the 82nd Airborne Division's Combat Aviation Brigade. Chief Warrant Officer 4 Cole's actions and pilot skills during the accident directly resulted in the survival of his co-pilot, 1st Lt. Joshua Bowns. Born in West Virginia, Brent joined the U.S. Army in 1987, as a military policeman and was selected in 1998 to the Army's Warrant Officer Flight Program. He excelled as an Army aviator and began flying the AH-64 Apache helicopter. He continued to excel by becoming his unit's aviation safety officer ensuring the safety of everyone around him. With his much revered skills and professionalism as a pilot, he was selected to become an instructor pilot and given the responsibility for teaching new aviators the much needed ability and skills to operate the greatest attack helicopter in the world; this was his calling, and he loved every minute of it. Chief Warrant Officer 4 Cole's military decorations include two Bronze Stars, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal for Valor, two Air Medals, the Army Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with one Bronze Star, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, two Overseas Service Ribbons, the NATO Medal, the Multi-National Force and Observers Medal. He has also been awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Senior Army Aviator Badge and the Parachutist's Badge. He is survived by his wife, Vanessa Commodore Cole, whom he married on April, 25, 1992; his son, Carson; and his parents, Jack and Helen Cole, all of Linden. Brent is also survived by his brother-in-law, Justin Commodore and his wife, Laura, of Charleston, S.C.; father-in-law, Don Commodore; sister-in-law, Maria and Tony Mancuso; brother-in-law, Vince and Sheneen Commodore all of Kingwood, W.Va.; best friend Chief Warrant Officer 4 Lenny Irwin; a host of aunts and uncles; and special cousin, Todd Commodore and other cousins, as well as an abundance of friends. Memorial services will be held Thursday, May 28, 2009, at 7 p.m. in St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 700 Carnegie Drive, Fayetteville, with the Rev. Willard Rucinski, OSFS, and Chaplain Charles Yost officiating. Afterwards, the family will receive friends in the church social hall. A memorial service will then be held Saturday, May 30, 2009, at 11 a.m. at St. Sabastian Catholic Church in Kingwood, W.Va. The burial will follow in Masontown Cemetery in West Virginia with full military honors. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Brent S. Cole Memorial Fund, c/o First Citizens Bank, 3604 Ramsey Street, Fayetteville NC 28311 for Carson's future education. Services entrusted to Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home of Fayetteville.